The full text of the tweet, which went longer than Twitter’s 140-character limit, read: “Why do I keep getting texts about coming back? Do ppl really believe everything they hear or read? There are many ppl in the world that think they have a ‘story’ …”

Twenty minutes later, Phelps retweeted a retweet from his old coach, Bob Bowman.

Those sound like firm denials, but we can’t help but notice that Phelps never actually denies anything in either tweet. A message reading “I am not coming back” would have silenced all speculation. Those two messages almost make you think there’s something to the rumor, even if there’s not.

Because a comeback doesn’t pass the smell test. It makes no sense for Phelps to plot a return to swimming in mid-May, six weeks before the U.S. national meet that will serve as qualifying for July’s world championships in Barcelona. Even if he’s been training in secret for weeks, there’s barely enough time for him to start a taper, let alone get in shape for competition.

If there is a comeback in the works — and Phelps has been adamant that he’s competed in his last swim meet — it’s more likely to occur closer to the 2015 world championships or 2016 Olympics, if at all.

I found this on FTW and wanted to share:
%link%
For more great sports stories ...
*visit For The Win: https://www.ftw.usatoday.com
*follow @ForTheWin: https://www.twitter.com/forthewin
*like FTW on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usatodayftw